1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compressors and more particularly, to compressors that include electrical driven devices, such as an electric motor for driving the compressor.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known compressor is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-255252 and includes an electric motor and an inverter. The inverter controls the electric motor in order to drive the compressor. Further, the inverter is cooled by refrigerant gas drawn into the compressor. More specifically, the inverter includes a heat radiator that contacts a suction passage for drawing the refrigerant into the compressor and the heat radiator cools the inverter.
It is one object of the present teachings to provide improved compressors that can more effectively cool an electrical control device of the compressor.
In one embodiment of the present teachings, representative compressors may include, for example, a compressor housing, a compression chamber, a unit housing, a control device and a suction passage. The compression chamber may be defined within the compressor housing and fluid drawn into the compression chamber is compressed and then discharged. The control device may be disposed within the unit housing and the control device preferably controls electric devices within the compressor. For example, an electric motor may be disposed within the compressor housing and may drive the compressor. Further, an inverter is one representative example of a control device according to the present teachings.
The suction passage may introduce fluid, such as a refrigerant gas, into the compression chamber. The temperature of fluid within the suction passage is typically relatively low compared to the temperature of the fluid that has been compressed by and discharged from the compressor. Preferably, the suction passage penetrates into the unit housing such that the fluid within the suction passage may directly cool the control device (e.g., an inverter) disposed within the unit housing.
If the suction passage penetrates into the unit housing, the control device within the unit housing can be directly and effectively cooled. Although the fluid in the suction passage can directly cool the control device, the control device is prevented from being directly exposed to the fluid due to separation provided by the suction passage. Therefore, the control device can be prevented from corroding, which may cause the control device to malfunction.
Only objects, features and advantage of the present invention will be readily understood after reading the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings and the claims.